Crimson Wings in Battle City
by Heart of PureSilver
Summary: When an old foe tries to steal Red Nova Dragon from Jack, the Crimson Dragon intervened, lest the great evil that was sealed away escape into the world once again. Little did Jack know that he'd find himself stranded in the past, back during the Battle City Tournament. Evil follows him when Jack decides to enter the tournament. How will the Signer's presence affect the past?
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Oi! Jack!"

A violet eye precariously opened. The seething face of his friend hovered over him; Crow's eyebrows creased in annoyance. Jack closed his eye again, shrugging.

"Crow. What is it you're bugging me about this time?"

"What do you think!?" the ginger-haired male snapped, holding out a piece of paper in front of his friend's face. Both violet eyes opened, narrowing at the numbers on the paper. "How did you manage to spend over three hundred dollars at the café across the street!? And it's all for coffee! What did I tell you!? We barely have enough to get by!"

"What's your point, Mama Bird?"

"Jack! This is serious! We don't have enough to pay for this!"

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"GET A JOB!" Crow yelled, his head growing about three times its normal size. The force of his loud voice sent the blonde duelist flying off his bed, causing Jack to land in a heap on the floor. Crow's head returned to normal size. "Sure we saved the world from Z-ONE, and sure we won the WRGP, but saving the world doesn't bring in any dough! Jack, you need to pull your own weight. Yusei and I have been doing our parts. Why can't you do yours?"

Jack glared at Crow from his position on the floor. The once-King hastily stood up, the difference in height blatantly showing itself as he towered over his friend.

"Don't you think I've tried?! It's not my fault people—"

"Actually, yes it is your fault! You tried serving sushi at a pizza joint! You burned off part of a customer's shirt to get rid of a stain at the dry cleaners! And don't even get me started on 'clearing' dishes by tossing them to the floor!"

"Are you insinuating that I'm worthless?!" the violet-eyed duelist snapped.

Crow just shrugged, his glare burning holes at his elder brother. "Maybe I am. After all, I'm not some pathetic has-been jerk who can't even manage to do the simplest of things because he has no applicable skills!"

Jack remained quiet, grudgingly accepting that the things Crow was saying were true. It wasn't like he didn't try getting a job. It's just that everyone fired him soon after because of mistakes that he made while on the job. Dueling was his passion and it was just about the only thing he was extremely good at.

In the garage, Yusei sighed as a sweatdrop ran down his head. He was growing tired of listening to Jack and Crow argue. It was starting to become routine after they had won the WRGP. He and Crow worked while Jack often times spent most of what they did earn. While Yusei did not mind this, Crow had different opinions which is what led to arguments and Jack would then resort to physical violence and then it would all go to hell from there.

The spiky-haired duelist cringed at the sound of a body hitting a wall. He flinched again when the door slammed open, revealing a furious Jack. The angry blonde stormed out of the room, leapt over the stair railing, and landed on the ground. Jack had been angry before when these fights broke out, but this time the rage in his eyes burned more fiercely than before.

"Jack?" Yusei said cautiously, but his friend just ignored him.

"If you don't want me around, then fine! Jack Atlas should not have to deal with third-rate nobodies, anyway!"

"WHAT WAS THAT!?" yelled Crow, as the ginger entered the room. He was glaring at Jack from atop the stairs in the garage. "At least _I_ didn't betray my friends like an asshole and then run off to become some fancy-pants celebrity!"

"Will you let that drop!?" Jack shouted back. "I'm not like that anymore!"

"You sure don't act like it! You still act like a selfish and arrogant prick!"

Jack let out an exasperated yell. "I am not dealing with this!"

The once-King took his helmet off the nearby table and swiftly sat down in his Duel Runner. Revving up the vehicle, Jack slammed his helmet on his head as the garage door opened. With his Runner ready to drive, Jack sped out of the garage without any hesitation. Yusei watched as the Phoenix Whirlwind disappeared from his sights. Yusei crossed his arms, directing his gaze at Crow. His eyes narrowed at the orange-haired male.

"What!?" Crow blurted out. "You know he does this all the time. He'll be back before ya know it."

Yusei sighed, palming his face. This really needed to stop.

Meanwhile, Jack was speeding down one of New Domino City's highways. Riding at high speeds down long winding highways always helped Jack clear his head when something was on his mind. Currently, it was his way of expressing his frustration and rage at Crow's words. It was difficult facing the things he said. What pissed him off more was that he knew what Crow said was true. He just couldn't handle facing that truth, so he resorted to physical actions to deal with it.

Jack's grip on the handle tightened as he began mentally voicing every curse word he could think of at his orange-haired friend. He knew he had done a number of horrible things in the past and he did his best to try and amend them. But Crow would not let them go and constantly used those incidents to his advantage. Jack was entirely sick of it. He wasn't proud of betraying his friends, stealing Stardust Dragon, or stealing Yusei's first Duel Runner. Jack slammed his fist on the Duel Disk attached to the other arm support. The very thought of that betrayal made his blood boil in his veins. He had changed since then. He wasn't the old Jack anymore.

"So, here you are."

Jack jerked to attention at the voice. He'd recognize that annoying voice anywhere. But the only thing going through Jack's mind at that moment was "how is it back?"

A black D-Wheel adorned with red and orange flames drove up right beside him. The person driving it, he didn't recognize. The red tinted lens of the black helmet the person wore made it impossible to determine who it was. But judging by the body shape and the long flaming red hair coming out of the helmet, Jack assumed it was a woman. The annoying laugh sounded out again, sounding more girly than before.

"You!? Weren't you crushed under fifteen feet of rubble!?" Jack snapped at the person next to him. More laughter answered him.

"Did you honestly think some petty boulders would stop a demon in its tracks?" the possessed woman questioned him. "Even you can't be that much of a moron, Jack Atlas! Oh wait; yes you are, since you did! HA!"

Jack gritted his teeth together, attempting to resist the urge to put the fire demon in its place.

"Do you know why I'm here, Jack Atlas?" the demon asked.

"Well, you're obviously not here for an autograph," Jack kidded, not amused in the slightest that the Familiar of Red Nova was back. How was it possible that the demon was still around?

"I want my master back," it snapped, pointing a finger at Jack. "I want your Red Nova Dragon card! My master doesn't belong in the hands of a mere mortal. I will defeat you and release my master into the world once again!"

"Go ahead and try it!" Jack taunted. "I beat you once before and I can do it again easily!"

"Do you honestly think so?" the Familiar sneered. "I'll make you regret those words!"

A swift move later and the other Duel Runner was ramming into the Phoenix Whirlwind. Jack grunted as the other Duel Runner scraped against his, creating sparks along the highway.

"Are you trying to make me crash?!"

"That was the intention! Damn, you're slow!" the Familiar cackled, continuing its assault on the blonde. "I never said I'd duel you for it. I'll take my master back by force!"

The Familiar held up a hand, a fireball forming. The large flare was then shot at him. Jack's eyes widened as he attempted to maneuver his Duel Runner out of the way. The flare impacted with the highway railings, exploding on contact and sending sparks and shards of glass flying everywhere. The demon laughed maniacally at the destruction, watching with glee as the glass shards cut into Jack and red began staining his pristine white clothing. His Signer mark began glowing in reaction to the danger.

"Are you mad!?" Jack snapped at the demon.

"Of course I am! I'm pissed at you and at the rest of humanity!" the demon angrily yelled. It then smiled deviously, the grin slowly spread wider over its face. "Which is why I'll be summoning my master back where no one will be able to stop him!"

"What?" Jack blurted out.

"You'll see what I mean soon enough, Jack Atlas," the demon smirked, holding up a card. The Familiar then slammed the card on the Duel Disk attached to its Duel Runner. "Arise, Trident Dragion!"

In a blaze of fire, a large red three-headed dragon arose from the flames. It spread its large wings, stretching from one end of the highway to the other. The three dragon heads let out a deafening roar. Jack raised an arm, shielding himself from the heat that came from the dragon's breath.

"_It's real?_" thought Jack. "_Just my luck._"

"That monster wasn't in your deck before," the blonde countered.

"Of course it wasn't. Must I explain everything to you?" the Familiar scoffed. "I guess it's true when they say that blondes are dumb! You overcame my strategy before, so I needed to change tactics. And with my mighty Dragion becoming a living and breathing monster, you have no defense against it! Now, Trident Dragion, burn that little Signer to a crisp! Make him pay for trapping my master, Red Nova!"

"Two can play at this game!" Jack retorted, taking out his signature card and summoning it. "Red Dragon Archfiend!"

The black and red demonic looking dragon appeared beside its master, roaring back at the other dragon that hovered nearby. The two dragons charged towards each other, clawing and biting each in a battle for dominance. Real blood splashed to the highway pavement as the two titans clashed. As Red Dragon Archfiend fought against Trident Dragion, Jack's Signer mark glowed brighter.

"That pitiful little lizard is no match for my Trident Dragion!" The Familiar jeered. "It can barely protect itself from my Dragion's might. Which means a pathetic little Signer like you won't stand a chance against it!"

Jack's eyes widened at what the demon said. His irises darted straight to Trident Dragion, seeing one of its three heads turning toward his direction while other two were occupied with holding back Red Dragon Archfiend. The head inhaled, fire forming in its open jaws and preparing to attack. Red Dragon Archfiend bit onto the neck of one of the other two heads, releasing more blood onto the ground. The Signer Dragon darted in front of Jack, right in the path of the third head's attack. The fire blast connected, causing Red Dragon Archfiend to cry out in agony as the skin on its body were seared off.

"Red Dragon Archfiend!" Jack shouted, wincing as he saw the incredible pain his monster—his very soul—was being put through. The mighty dragon crashed to the ground, sending rocks and rubble into the air. Jack slammed the brakes on his Phoenix Whirlwind, swerving it around so he could see what condition his Red Dragon Archfiend was in. He grimaced at the sight he saw. The mighty Signer dragon was struggling to stand upright, intending to continue fighting despite being weakened.

"Lying on the ground like a defeated loser, just like its master," the Familiar mocked the blonde. "How fitting."

"I'll make you pay for that!" Jack shouted. "Nobody insults Jack Atlas or Red Dragon Archfiend and gets away with it!"

"Talk is cheap, Jackie-boy," the demon possessed woman laughed. "With your Red Dragon Archfiend whimpering on the ground like a dog, you don't stand a chance. Other than your Red Nova Dragon, you don't possess another monster than can match the power of my Trident Dragion. Your life shall be mine; and once I release my master from his prison, your body will be his to command!"

The giant winged beast reared its heads, building up its fire breath for another attack. Jack growled at how the Familiar treated his dragon like trash. There was little time to react to protect his Red Dragon Archfiend, much less to protect himself. This monster card was a real living being and any damage it caused was real as well. Trident Dragion unleashed its attack, aiming at Jack and his Red Dragon Archfiend. The bright light coming from his Signer mark caused Jack to redirect his attention to his arm.

He heard the familiar cry and he saw the bright crimson light form above him. He looked up, finding the graceful form of the Crimson Dragon. He blinked in confusion. Why had the Crimson Dragon appeared? He didn't have time to think about it as the giant maws of the Crimson Dragon opened up. The red dragon descended down upon him and Red Dragon Archfiend, engulfing both of them.

The Familiar of Red Nova scowled at the Crimson Dragon and its pitiful attempt to protect one of its chosen and to prevent him from retrieving Red Nova Dragon from Jack. The Crimson Dragon radiated a bright red light, blinding the fire demon with its brilliance. When the light died away, both Jack and Red Dragon Archfiend were gone. The Familiar smirked, taking off the helmet covering his head. Golden eyes gleamed in the sunlight and spiked red hair with yellow highlights floated elegantly in the wind.

"So you escaped me with the help of the Crimson Dragon," the demon possessed woman scoffed. "Don't underestimate my power, Jack Atlas. I will find you and I will take my master back no matter where, or _when_, you end up. Red Nova will be released into the world once again. And this time, I'll make sure there are no pathetic Signers that will stand in my way. This world will belong to Red Nova; I swear it!"

* * *

It was a stormy night in Domino City. Thunder boomed in the distance as the torrential downpour continued. Yugi Muto groaned as he squirmed around in his bed sheets. No matter what he did, he couldn't get to sleep. There was some deep innate feeling keeping him awake; as if he would miss something very important if he didn't stay awake. The short duelist glanced at his clock, seeing that it was a little after two in the morning. Yugi groaned again, slamming his pillow over his head. Nothing was helping his sudden bout of anxiety. Sighing, Yugi slipped out of bed and walked up to his bedroom window. He laid his head in his arms as he watched the rain drip down his windowsill.

"Yugi?"

Yugi turned his head, finding the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle leaning on his dresser nearby. The spirit had a look of concern on his face.

"Oh, I'm fine," Yugi replied, attempting to ease Yami's worries. "I'm just restless for some weird reason. I can't seem to get to sleep."

"Is there something bothering you?" Yami asked.

"I don't know how to explain it…" Yugi muttered, putting a hand to his chin. "I feel like something is going to happen soon…and I don't want to miss whatever that something is. Does that make sense?"

Yami nodded, but was still confused as to what his partner was getting at. What could Yugi be sensing that he wasn't? And was that something a good or evil thing? With the recent trip to Duelist Kingdom and with the dark powers that Pegasus controlled, not to mention the recent stunt with a possessed Bandit Keith, Yami was on edge. What if something far more evil was looming on them in the future?

"Maybe it's just me and I'm still on edge from the events that have been happening recently," Yugi sighed, taking one last look through his window. "After all, with Shadow Games and Millennium Items; anything could happ—"

Yugi cut off once he saw a bright red light appear in the distance. Yami rushed up next to Yugi's side, wondering what it was that Yugi saw. Their eyes widened as they saw a distinct shape appear right above the cityscape. It appeared to be a large red dragon, spreading across the sky. The dragon let out a cry before it disappeared and faded away like a mist. Yugi's jaw hung open, confused at what he had just seen.

"Wha-wha-what…? What in the world was that!?" Yugi cried out in disbelief. "Was that a…red dragon? Or were my eyes playing tricks on me?"

"Your eyes weren't lying, Yugi," Yami answered, crossing his arms. "I saw it too. But what could it mean?"

"A crimson dragon…" Yugi muttered, yawning soon afterwards. The short male shuffled to his bed and flopped down on it, not bothering with the covers. "Figure…tomorrow…"

Yami smirked at his partner. Apparently, sleep finally decided to catch up to Yugi. It seemed the appearance of the red dragon was the object of Yugi's restlessness. But what sort of significance did it have? Yami did not recognize the dragon, but he sensed a great power coming from it before it disappeared.

"_I just hope that power isn't malevolent,_" thought the spirit before fading away.

* * *

**HoPS: **_***slams head repeatedly against a wall***_** Oh, Plot-Bunny Brigade! Why must you plague me so and make me start too many stories!? I've been watching Yugioh 5D's recently and this idea took form after I watched the subbed episodes where Jack gets Red Nova Dragon.**

**Jack: Um…you're not going to abuse me in this, are you?**

**HoPS: You? No, even though I am tempted to. I blame my extreme fangirlism for Jack for doing this. Plus, there's a lack of crossover stories with Jack as the main character and I've always wondered what would happen if he and Kaiba ever met face-to-face. The clash of egos would destroy the world before Yami Marik can! Read and review! Tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The first thing that registered in Jack's mind was how much he hurt all over his body. It felt like he had crashed his Duel Runner and fell to the asphalt again, only this time it felt like the Runner had landed on top of him instead of landing a few feet away from him. The second thing that ran through his head was a question; one that he voiced aloud.

"What the hell happened?"

Jack grunted as he attempted to move his body. He opened his eyes, finding pavement below him and it appeared bleary. He moved his arm to his face, rubbing his eyes. Every movement hurt him, so whatever happened had caused some serious damage to him. He blinked a few times, waiting for his vision to clear up. He saw the ripped cloth of his gloves, spots of red staining it. He looked over himself, trying to see if there were any other injuries. His trenchcoat and his pants were ripped in several places and blood leaked out of various cuts that were exposed on his skin. His boots miraculously remained unscathed somehow. Grunting, Jack stood up and winced as more pain assaulted him. He leaned against the nearby wall, gritting his teeth together. No doubt there were bruises forming already and that was causing all his pain.

"That lousy excuse for a fireball!" he cursed under his breath. "Once I find him, I'll make him pay!"

Taking some time to examine his surroundings, Jack determined he was currently in an alleyway of some sort. That confused him, since the last thing he remembered was that he was on a highway. The Crimson Dragon must've transported him somewhere safer from that wacko fire demon. Jack fished around his pocket, finding his Red Dragon Archfiend. His eyes lowered, looking over the card and silently apologizing to the dragon for putting it through such pain. He placed the card away and began moving. He followed the narrow alleyway, hoping to go out and get some medical treatment. That's when he heard voices. His pace increased and soon he found an opening in the alleyway. He peeked around the corner, finding a group of three boys chatting aimlessly about something or other.

"Did ya hear? Seto Kaiba's hosting a Duel Monsters tournament!"

Jack thoughts stopped in their tracks. What kind of sick joke were these kids playing at? Seto Kaiba? Hosting a tournament? But Seto Kaiba had to be older than dirt by now! How could he possibly host a tournament when his younger brother, Mokuba Kaiba, was the current charge of KaibaCorp?

"Oh really?"

"It's true! I heard it's called the Battle City Tournament. Only the best of the best are allowed to be registered and I heard that the new rules force you to ante up your best card if you lose."

"Daaaaaaamn. That's some harsh stuff, dude."

Jack's mind did a double-take. Battle City? As in the _infamous_ Battle City Tournament? That had occurred decades ago! How was it possible for there to be a Battle City Tournament with Seto Kaiba hosting it when it had ended already?

"_The hell is going on here?_" he thought heatedly.

"So, ya gonna register?"

"Hell no! I ain't got no skills like them big-shots! I'd be wiped out in the first round."

"You wouldn't be able to anyways. I heard KaibaCorp rated every duelist in the world and only those ranked with three stars or higher are eligible to register."

Jack rolled his eyes. He was getting sick of this conversation real fast. The idea of mass ranking duelists irked him. The only true way to rank a duelist was to duel him or her yourself. That's when something important came to his mind. His Duel Disk was attached to his Duel Runner, which was now missing. He needed to find his Phoenix Whirlwind as soon as possible, and then he needed to find and teach the Familiar of Red Nova a very, _very_ painful lesson for insulting him and his Red Dragon Archfiend.

He walked briskly in a different direction, crossing his arms as he thought about his situation. His Phoenix Whirlwind was missing, the Familiar of Red Nova was missing, he ended up in a deserted portion of New Domino City…or, at least he _thought_ it was New Domino, but he was beginning to have his doubts since nothing looked familiar to him so far. There was something strange going on and Jack was having a hard time trying to discern what it was.

"Hey, comin' through!"

Jack stopped as he heard the misplaced Brooklyn accent. He began to turn in the direction the voice came from, but never made it all the way. Something large and solid ran into him, shoving him to the ground. Jack hissed as he acquired more bruises to his already injured frame. The once-King jerked upright, an anger mark pulsing on his head.

"Watch where you're going!" he snapped at the other person lying on the ground. He blinked as he looked over the other male. It was a blonde with a sporadic hairstyle. He wore a blue denim jacket over a pale blue t-shirt and black jeans. The guy was currently lying on his back, his eyes becoming black swirls as his fingers twitched a few times. He soon recovered, sitting on his butt as he looked over Jack.

"Sorry, man," he apologized, scratching the back of his head.

"What's so important that you're flying down a dark alleyway like a chicken with its head cut off?" Jack growled, standing up and attempting to hide any pain he was feeling from his injuries.

"Hey! Nobody calls me a chicken and gets away wit' it!" the male retorted, his chin becoming more rigid and his mouth appeared to sink into it slightly. It unnerved the former King out to an extent. The creepy chin soon vanished as the other teen looked over Jack a second time. "Whoa, what happened to you? Ya look like you were in a accident."

"Oh, _really_?" Jack bit back sardonically. "Maybe because I _was_?"

"Oh," the male said. It took a few seconds before the severity of what was said finally registered in the other teen's mind. "Wait, you were in an _accident_!? Jeez! Dude, ya need ta get some medical attention!"

"You think I don't know that?"

"Well, uh…" Jack palmed his face at the other blonde's reaction. Whoever this person was, he was rather thick-headed. "…This has been nice an' all, but I gotta get to the hospital quick!"

"Why? Someone dying on you?" the former King asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"No time ta answer!" the other blonde answered, rushing around Jack and running on ahead.

Jack merely blinked at the retreating form of the other teen. He was obviously in a real hurry, so something of importance had to be occurring soon for him. Perhaps a family member was sick and needed familial support and that's why the other blonde was rushing to get to the hospital. Jack mentally shook his head. He didn't need to worry about it since it was highly unlikely they'd see each other again.

"_However…_" he thought. "_I should probably get myself some medical treatment before I do anything else. I want to be at my best so I can completely destroy that little snotball of a fire demon the next time I see him._"

Decision made, he followed the direction the other teen had gone towards. Locating the hospital should have been no issue for him, but nothing was looking familiar to Jack. The tall buildings in the distance he could see over the rooftops of the buildings close to him were not in New Domino City. He had seen enough of the city to know so. Compared to New Domino, the buildings appeared more…primitive than normal.

"Where exactly did I end up?" he wondered aloud.

"Hey! What's the big idea!? Outta my way; I'm in a hurry!"

Jack snapped his head up, finding the other teen from earlier being surrounded by three cloaked figures. From personal experience, being alone in the middle of the night and traveling through dark alleyways always spelled out trouble. Usually, you were mugged and beaten. Other times, someone else wasn't so lucky and they never crawled out alive. Jack rushed towards the small group, fully intending to put a stop to whatever the cloaked figures were planning; his experience as one of the members of Team Satisfaction coursed through him at that moment. He'd be damned if he allowed them to do what they wanted.

"Hey!" he shouted out to the group. "If you morons were smart, you'd let the guy go through!"

The other blonde turned around, his expression shifting from one of rage to shock. Jack ran up to him, intending to explain himself but the other male spoke before he could. "Oh, it's you! Cheese Fondue Head!"

An anger mark pulsed on Jack's forehead when he heard the name.

"I could just leave you, you know…" Jack muttered angrily. The other blonde grinned uneasily, a sweatdrop running down his head. Jack regained his composure, glaring fiercely at the cloaked figures.

"Listen, blondie," one of the cloaked figures said. "You're making a grave mistake."

"I'll send you mistakes to the grave if you don't move," Jack retorted nonchalantly.

"We are Rare Hunters," the one in the middle of the group said. "We stalk our prey and take what we desire. In this case, I want Joey Wheeler's Red-Eyes Black Dragon and I won't leave until it's mine."

"Joey Wheeler?" Jack reiterated blankly. He looked back at the other blonde. "He's joking, right? Not Joey Wheeler as in _the_ Joey Wheeler?"

"That's right!" the male announced proudly, crossing his arms and looking smug. "I know ya heard of me and my greatness! I came in second in Duelist Kingdom!"

"_**NO WAY!**_" Jack blurted out in complete disbelief. "But you're—it's not—it can't—!"

"Sorry, I ain't givin' out autographs right now," Joey responded. "Or…I could give ya one after I get to the hospital to see my sister."

Jack's mind was running on overdrive. The duelist Joey Wheeler had to be an old man by now! Yet, the guy in the black bathrobe and the teen himself had confirmed it. In his youth, Jack had read much about the world's greatest duelists. Joseph "Joey" Wheeler was listed in the top five and his signature monster was the rare Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Things began to slowly click into place as Jack's brain came to an impossible answer and he didn't want to believe it.

"You're speechless in my presence!" Joey cried out in happiness, bringing Jack back to reality. Jack merely blinked as comical tear streams ran down Joey's face. He clenched his fist. "My first fan; I can't believe it! I am SO rubbin' this in Tristan's face when I see him!"

Jack said nothing. What kid wasn't a fan of the original Duel Monsters legends? Yugi Muto, Seto Kaiba, Joey Wheeler; all of them were excellent role models for aspiring duelists who wanted to become champions one day. Jack remembered that he had boasted about becoming the next King of Games in his childhood, which Crow would then deny and then the two would get into an argument as to who was better and then they'd settle it with a duel.

"Silence!" the center-most cloaked figured yelled, bringing Joey out of his boasting. "Joey Wheeler; you and I will duel for your Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

"No way. I don't know how ya knew 'bout my Red-Eyes, but I'm not dueling ya for it. It's mine. Now step aside," Joey said, his glare sharpening at the group of strangers as they surrounded him.

"If you'd like to leave here in one piece, I'd suggest you do as I say and duel!"

"You're not giving me a choice, are ya?" Joey growled.

"Joey, hand me your Duel Disk," Jack ordered, holding out his hand to the other blonde. He was getting sick of the insistence of these bathrobe-cloaked imbeciles. Joey gaped in confusion. "You have somewhere to be, don't you? Someone important needs you."

"Well, yeah, but how can I—"

"Just shut up and trust me. I'll give it right back once I'm done."

Joey stood motionless for a few seconds, contemplating whether or not if he should trust the blonde stranger. Should he really place the fate of his Red-Eyes in the hands of someone he didn't even know? Then again, Cheese Fondue Head seemed rather sure of himself and he was willing to help him with the cloaked group. That was something he didn't have to do, but was doing it anyway. But Joey Wheeler didn't need someone to stand up for him! His pride as a duelist would never allow it! But that overconfidence was oftentimes his downfall. Tea and Tristan constantly picked on him about it and it pissed him off constantly, retorting that he thought things through when in reality he acted on impulse. He trusted his instincts more than his thoughts and, right now, his gut instinct told him that he could trust whoever the blonde stranger was. Maybe he could sit this duel out...just this once.

"_Alright, Cheese Fondue Head. I'm making my decision to trust ya,_" Joey thought. "_Ya better not lose this. I'll haunt your dreams if ya do._"

Joey finally opened the package, taking out KaibaCorp's newest Duel Disk system before handing it to Jack. Jack bit his lip as he held back any comments about how it was one of the earliest models. He would know since he had used one during his time in the Satellite.

"What are you doing?" the Rare Hunter demanded.

"I'll be dueling in Joey's place," Jack answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"No! I want—"

"If you duel me and win, I'll give you something far rarer than a Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

Joey's interest perked at the sound of a rare card. Something rarer than his Red-Eyes Black Dragon? Did Cheese Fondue Head really have such a card or was he bluffing?

"If you're telling the truth, show me this card."

Jack smirked, fishing into his pocket. He pulled out his Red Dragon Archfiend card, showing it to the Rare Hunters so that all of them could see it. Judging from their body language, they had no idea what type of card it was. It further proved the theory that was forming in his brain, but Jack was still in denial about it.

"If you win, I'll ante up this card. It's worth so much more than a normal Red-Eyes Black Dragon. It's a one of a kind card and only I have it. But if I win, you'll give me your Duel Disk since mine is currently absent. Does that sound like a fair deal?"

"Fine," the Rare Hunter agreed, grinning madly at the thought of getting an even rarer card for his master. "I accept those terms. We'll duel with the new Battle City rules, so when I win, your rarest card will be mine! And once I'm done with you, I'll take Wheeler's Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

"Hey, dude? Ya sure about this?" Joey asked unsurely. "If ya lose your card 'cause you were tryin' ta help me, I don't think—"

"Relax," Jack interrupted Joey as he placed the Duel Disk on his arm. He then took out his deck and placed it in the deck slot. "I won't lose. It'd be an insult to my pride as a duelist if I did."

"Duel!" Jack and the Rare Hunter both cried.

**Rare Hunter: 4000**

**Jack: 4000**

"By all means, ladies first," Jack taunted the cloaked male, drawing his five cards.

"You'll regret giving me the first move," the Rare Hunter growled back, irked by the insult. He drew his card. "I place one card in Defense Mode." He placed the card down on its side and a holographic version appeared before him.

"Is that all? You're already boring me," Jack said as he drew his sixth card. "When you control a monster and I have no monsters on my field, I'm allowed to special summon Vice Dragon from my hand."

"_Please let this work…_" he mentally pleaded. "_If it really __**did**__ happen...will this Duel Disk recognize my cards?_"

He breathed a sigh of relief when the familiar purple dragon appeared before him in all its 3D-holographic glory. So the Duel Disk was able to read his cards. But whether or not he'd be found out for using cards no one else had, he'd have to wait and see. Jack sweatdropped when he saw the excited and giddy look on Joey's face. It made the blonde look like a kid.

"Of course, when it's summoned this way, Vice Dragon's attack and defense points are halved." (1000/1200)

"Aw, dang," Joey muttered. "That was a strong monster! Now it's weaker than ever!"

"Keep your blathering to yourself," Jack ordered Joey. "My Vice Dragon won't be staying for long since I'm going to sacrifice it, so I can summon Strong Wind Dragon!" Vice Dragon disappeared, being replaced by a stronger dragon. A yellow-winged, green-scaled dragon came forth and let out a roar at the Rare Hunter. (2400/1000) "Now Strong Wind Dragon's special ability activates. When this card is summoned by sacrificing a Dragon-Type monster, Strong Wind Dragon gains half the original attack points of that monster. Since Vice Dragon's original attack points were two thousand, Strong Wind Dragon gains one thousand extra attack points, totaling at thirty-four hundred!"

"WHAT!?" Joey cried out as he held his head in astonishment. "Thirty-four hundred!? That's stronger than Moneybags' Blue-Eyes!"

"Attack that facedown monster, Strong Wind Dragon!" Strong Wind Dragon inhaled before releasing a stream of fire at the facedown monster. Hannibal Necromancer appeared shortly before being destroyed by the blazing fire. "And with it gone, Strong Wind Dragon's special power activates. When it attacks a monster in Defense Mode that has less defense points than my monster's attack points, the difference in damage is dealt straight to your Life Points."

"Okay, thirty-four hundred minus eighteen hundred…carry the thingy…minus the zero…" Joey mumbled as he counted on his fingers to find the difference. Jack palmed his face at Joey's stupidity.

"He loses sixteen hundred Life Points," Jack groaned from behind his hand, answering Joey's math problem.

**Rare Hunter: 2400**

**Jack: 4000**

"I'll place two facedowns and that'll end my turn," Jack finished as he placed his cards into the Disk. "Your move, Rare Hunter."

"Indeed it is," he replied. "I activate the Graceful Charity card. It allows me to draw three new cards." He drew three cards and discarded two to the Graveyard. He then placed a monster facedown in Defense Mode. "I'll end my turn with this monster and I'll activate the Magic card: Swords of Revealing Light. With this card, you can't attack for three whole turns!"

The card revealed itself, sending out waves of light swords at Jack's side of the field.

"Pathetic," Jack snapped as he placed his drawn card into his hand, ending his turn immediately. "Apparently, defense is all you can play."

"Big talk coming from a nobody," the Rare Hunter retorted as he drew another card. "I activate Graceful Charity again, allowing me to draw three new cards as long as I discard two."

"Again?" Joey groaned. "I'm fallin' asleep over here! Do something exciting, why don'tcha?"

"Shouldn't you be long gone by now?" Jack questioned, deadpanning at the other blonde. Joey wasn't listening. He was too focused on the duel.

"I place another monster in Defense Mode and I end my turn."

"Finally!" Jack shouted. "Now I can defeat you and get the hell out of this backwater alley!"

"What are blathering on about? As long as Swords of Revealing Light are on the field, you cannot attack!" the mystery man countered.

"Which is why I'll be ridding myself of it with one move," Jack shouted as he drew his card. "I summon the Dread Dragon Tuner monster!" A small yellow dragon that had purple dreadlocks on its head appeared beside Strong Wind Dragon. (1100/400)

"Uh…a what now? How's a pipsqueak like that gonna help any?" Joey wondered aloud.

"What is this?" the Rare Hunter said. "If you're planning on sacrificing it, you have to wait until next turn to summon whatever beast you have."

"Not this time; because with the Dread Dragon Tuner on the field, I'm allowed to do a special type of summoning," Jack explained. "One that doesn't require another normal summon during my turn."

The group of Rare Hunters and Joey all looked at Jack in disbelief.

"Just watch!" he shouted. "My level two Dread Dragon tunes with my level six Strong Wind Dragon. Witness as two become one and form a beast unlike any you have ever seen!"

Dread Dragon flew into the air and shifted into two glowing green circles. Strong Wind Dragon took flight, entering the two circles. It became an outline of its former self, six lights lining up on the inside of the rings. A bright light was produced, causing the Rare Hunters to shield their eyes.

"The ruler's heartbeats begin now! Bear witness to its creation-shaking power! I synchro summon, my very soul, Red Dragon Archfiend!"

A large black and red winged dragon appeared from the blinding white light. Three curved horns adorned its head and sharp claws that were itching to be used in battle twitched on its mighty hands. (3000/2000) Joey looked up at the colossal beast in awe, for he had never seen a type of summoning like it; nor had he ever seen a dragon that could potentially put Seto Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon to shame.

"Even with that monster, you still can't attack because of my Swords!" the Rare Hunter argued, trembling slightly at the monstrous form of Red Dragon Archfiend.

"Which is why I'll activate this convenient Spell card," Jack said, revealing one of his facedown cards. "It's called Scarlet Security. If Red Dragon Archfiend is on the field, all the Spells and Traps that you control are destroyed." The Swords of Revealing Light crumbled away, freeing Red Dragon Archfiend from its prison. It flexed its wings, letting out a roar into the night sky.

"Red Dragon Archfiend, attack his facedown monster with Absolute Power Force!" The dragon sent a flaming punch at one of the facedown monsters. The attack seared the hidden Three-Headed Geedo, destroying it effortlessly. "Now my Dragon's special ability activates. Since he destroyed a monster in Defense Mode, all other monsters on your field in Defense Mode are destroyed as well!"

The last facedown monster card shattered, leaving the Rare Hunter defenseless. The man smirked, not appearing worried in the slightest.

"_One more card and I'll have gathered all the pieces,_" he mentally laughed. "_It won't matter how strong your Dragon is. It's worthless in the face of Exodia the Forbidden One! And my turn is next! You've lost!_"

"And with that attack, I can now activate my Trap: Lineage of Destruction!" Jack shouted, revealing his other facedown. "If my level eight monster destroys a monster you control in Defense Mode, it can attack again with the help of this card. And guess what level my Red Dragon Archfiend is?"

"No! That can't be!" the Rare Hunter yelled, thoroughly panicking now. He had nothing to defend himself with; neither monster, Spell, or Trap.

"Oh, it be; and it be level eight! Red Dragon Archfiend, attack and wipe out the rest of his Life Points!" The Signer Dragon flew at the Rare Hunter. With a flaming fist, Red Dragon Archfiend slammed into the cloaked man. The Rare Hunter cried out in pain as the attack connected, sending him to the ground and knocking him unconscious. The other two Rare Hunters fled the scene, leaving their partner behind.

**Rare Hunter: 0**

**Jack: 4000**

"That was abysmal!" Jack snapped as he walked over to the fallen man. He slipped the Duel Disk off the Hunter's arm and held it in his right hand. "Did you honestly think you could defeat me with such paltry effort? Rally would've put up a better fight than you did!"

Jack shifted through the Rare Hunter's deck, trying to see why the male had only played defense. What Jack saw disgusted him.

"Exodia the Forbidden One?" Jack said, ripping the cards up. "Three copies of Exodia…what a waste. Of all the possible strategies, this one is by far the _cheapest_. Instead of dueling with a variety of cards, you rely on one monster and the chance to draw all five pieces. You're no duelist."

"Way ta go, Cheese Fondue Head!" Joey cheered, his creepy chin showing once again. "Way ta sick it to 'em!"

"My name is _**not**_ Cheese Fondue Head!" Jack yelled at the other blonde, stomping up to Joey and jabbing his finger into his face.

"Right. I never got your name," Joey said, waving off the angry aura that had appeared around Jack. "You know me, so I gotta know you; especially since you helped me out wit' these punks."

"Jack Atlas," Jack gruffly responded, still peeved at being called something that was related to food. He shoved Joey's Duel Disk into his arms, returning it since he had borrowed it for the duel. "And _why_ are you _**STILL**_ here!?"

"Eh?"

"Didn't you say you had to get to the hospital?"

"AH!" Joey cried out in a panic, remembering what he was supposed to do. "I almost forgot! My sister's operation!"

"Operation?"

"I owe ya for this one, Jack!" Joey said hastily, running in place. "But I gotta run! I'm so late; Serenity's never gonna forgive me for this!"

"If you want to repay me, just lead the way. I need to get some medical help of my own," Jack suggested.

"Done!" Joey shouted, grabbing hold of the elder teen's arm. Jack's eyes shrunk to dots as he felt himself being dragged through the city at blinding speeds. Joey skidded around a corner, creating a dust cloud. Joey was traveling at such a speed that Jack was literally flying off the ground. Jack could only wait and watch as buildings flew by his vision.

Joey made it to the Domino City Hospital in record time. He shoved open the doors and then continued running, still dragging Jack along with him. He ran up to the receptionist desk, slamming his free hand on the counter.

"Ma'am, I need two things," he said. "My friend here needs some medical treatment!"

"Since _when_ was I your friend? You just met me!" Jack argued, wondering why in the world the other blonde would say something like that.

"Shaddup, Atlas," Joey shot back. "And I need to know which room Serenity Wheeler is in. I'm her brother and she's been expecting me."

"Calm down, sir," the receptionist said. "We'll help your friend. And Serenity Wheeler is in room three hundred and four."

"Thanks," the Brooklyn-accented teen said before running off again, leaving Jack behind. "Atlas, remind me that I still owe ya one!"

Jack stood dumbly in the same spot, blinking at the retreating form of Joey Wheeler. His mind went back through everything that had happened since he regained consciousness. He assumed he was having some weird, corrupted dream that had spawned from his childhood memories. There was one last thing he needed to see in order to prove his thoughts wrong.

"Ma'am, do you mind telling me what the date is?" Jack asked the receptionist. The woman blinked and smiled kindly at him.

"It's April the tenth," she answered.

"And the year?" Jack inquired, the look on his face becoming a bit worried.

"Nineteen ninety-seven," she said, sounding confused as to why he would ask the year.

"_Nineteen ninety-seven!?_" Jack nearly wanted to yell, but kept his voice down. "There's no _possible_ way…"

"Sir, is something wrong?"

"_It can't be! It's some sort of sick twisted joke!_" he thought furiously. "_Did the Crimson Dragon really send me through time? Was I really sent over three decades into the __**past**__?_"

Jack shook his head. He ran his hands through his golden blonde hair, clenching his eyes shut. Everything clicked into place and Jack could deny it no longer. It explained everything; his lack of recognition of the city, Joey Wheeler, the Duel Disk system, the kids' conversation about the Battle City Tournament.

"Screw the Crimson Dragon," Jack moaned under his breath. "What the bloody hell did I get myself into this time?"

* * *

**Hmm…who knows, Jack? You tend to get yourself into a lot of bad situations without even trying.**

**My theory on the Duel Disk system: The Duel Disk system is supposed to read cards from the Duel Monsters game whether if they're fake, legit, or one of a kind. Jack, even though he is from the future, has legit Duel Monsters cards and therefore the system can read them, interpret them, and give off holographic visuals of them. The same thing goes for Synchro Summoning; it's a legit form of summoning that can be used if the user knows how it works and has the right cards to use it. But because Jack, his cards, and Synchro Summoning are from the future, Seto Kaiba wouldn't be able to get any type of information on them. Remember, he's stalking everyone (especially Yugi) with a Duel Disk for the Egyptian God Cards in Battle City.**

**I know that the whole "taking Red-Eyes" thing was an important event that eventually helped Yugi a couple times through Battle City. But since Jack is here, he's unintentionally changing things with his very presence and the timeline is being reformed because of it. So, not everything is going to happen in the same way as before.  
**

**Read and review. Tell me what you think.**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kaiba's mouth creased as he glared at the…vehicle before him. Not only had the thing crashed through the roof of his home, it had fallen into Mokuba's room. The young boy had run out of his room in the middle of the night, screaming about bombs and falling objects and ran to Seto in tears. When he arrived in the room, he wasn't expecting what he saw.

It was a large white one-wheeled vehicle. A purple seat was situated inside the wheel and a screen of some sort was programmed into it. Two armrests were connected to the seat, with the thrust and brake levers located inside them. A Duel Disk was connected to the left armrest, as if it was supposed to be used while riding the contraption. The wings connected to it were decorated in blue and yellow and there was a symbol painted on the back-most wing.

Currently, he had the thing moved to one of the garages located behind the house. Since he had some time before he had to work, Kaiba had decided to take a second look at the thing along with Mokuba.

"What the heck does 5D's mean?" Mokuba wondered aloud, taking a closer look at the strange motorbike now that he knew it wasn't dangerous.

"I don't care what it means," Kaiba snapped. "I want to know whose sick joke it was to fling this thing into _my_ home and endanger my family!"

"I don't know. The security tape didn't catch anything except for a bright red light and then it fell from the sky," Mokuba shrugged, poking at the buttons near the computer screen. He pressed one of the buttons and the motor roared to life, causing Mokuba to cry out in shock.

"Mokuba, don't touch anything," Kaiba warned, not knowing if the vehicle hid something dangerous inside or if it was a ploy for something else. Mokuba didn't listen, his curiosity getting the better of him. He pressed the rightmost button, watching the computer screen turn on. He blinked as he heard a feminine voice coming from it.

"**Duel Mode engaged. Activating Speed World 2.**"

"Eh? Duel Mode?" Mokuba repeated. Kaiba's eyes widened slightly in surprise as a white ring formed from under the motorbike. It slowly expanded until it reached the ceiling, covering the room in a holographic field. The white ring suddenly disappeared and the feminine voice spoke again.

"**No opponent detected. Authorization denied.**"

"…What just happened? What do you think, big bro?"

"Let me see…" Kaiba murmured, taking a seat in the chair.

He looked at how everything was positioned, looking over the Duel Disk attached to the armrest. He examined the Duel Disk, narrowing his eyes at what he saw. He pushed the leftmost button near the computer screen. He heard a resounding click that came from the Duel Disk. Getting out of the seat, he picked up the contraption.

"Mokuba, keep this whole thing quiet," Kaiba said, walking away with the Duel Disk. "If this is what I think it is, then someone is going to pay _dearly_ for it."

"What do you mean, Seto?" Mokuba questioned. He got no answer as Kaiba continued on his way. Mokuba took one last glance at the motorbike before following after his brother. Little did he know it would be just the start of a series of strange occurrences that were to come.

* * *

"Hey, guys! How's it hangin'?"

"Hey, Joey!"

Joey Wheeler ran up to his friends, a big grin plastered on his face. Yugi, Tea, and Tristan were all standing outside the Kame Game shop, which was owned by Yugi's grandfather. The plan was that the group would all go out and have a fun time since Serenity's eye operation was a success. Joey wasn't allowed to see her straight afterwards, so he was forced to wait until the next day. Unfortunately, the Battle City Tournament was supposed to be held the next day, so Joey wouldn't be able to see Serenity right away.

"Everyone is accounted for," Tristan announced. He then grabbed his blonde friend in a headlock. "You're late! What took you? You said that you'd come as soon as the operation was done."

"I was checking up on someone else," Joey retorted, skillfully maneuvering out of Tristan's grip. "The guy helped me out and I still need to repay him somehow! Is that such a problem!?"

"Who helped you out? What trouble did you get yourself into this time?" Tea asked, wondering who was stupid enough to help Joey out of whatever situation he got himself into. Joey was usually the one to start fights, not stand on the sidelines.

"See, I ran into these creeps last night while I was on my way ta the hospital. They called themselves Rare Hunters," Joey explained. "They wanted ta duel me for my Red-Eyes and they wouldn't let me leave until I did."

"But you beat them, right?" said Yugi, assuming it was so since Joey was here before them and looked unscathed.

"No, I didn't duel at all," Joey replied. "I ran into this guy shortly beforehand. He dueled in my place."

"Why would he do that?" Tristan asked.

"Don't know," the blonde said, thinking back on the event. "But I'm glad he did. Turns out one of them Rare Hunters had Exodia in his deck."

"Exodia!?" the other three teens blurted out simultaneously.

"Three copies of Exodia, to be exact."

"_**THREE!?**_" they all shouted.

"How did this guy beat someone with three copies of Exodia in their deck!?" Tristan demanded, taking hold of Joey's shirt and shaking him. "The chances of drawing all five pieces were so high!"

"Duh, Tristan. He wiped out the guy's Life Points before he could get all five pieces," Joey said bluntly, as if it was the easiest answer in the world. "He whooped the Rare Hunter's butt in three turns without losing a single Life Point." Joey then started hopping on his feet, looking positively giddy. "Oh, ya should've _seen_ the monster he summoned during that last turn. It was freakin' awesome!"

"What monster was it?" Yugi asked, clearly interested in meeting this duelist. Whoever it was, they were good in Yugi's eyes for helping Joey when he needed it most.

"Eh…" Joey trailed off, crossing his arms. He thought hard. "Dragon…something…It's on the tip of my tongue…"

"Can you describe it? Maybe I know what it is."

"No way, Yug. He said it was a one of a kind monster card. That and he did some weird type of summoning to get it on the field," Joey said, shaking his head. A light bulb then glowed above his head. "I remember now! Red Dragon Archfiend! That's it! With the black and the red, and the cool-lookin' horns and 'Absolute Power Force'! That dragon puts Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon to shame!"

"A dragon putting Blue-Eyes to shame?" Tea repeated as her eyes narrowed, doubt lacing her voice. "You _must_ be exaggerating."

"Red Dragon Archfiend?" Yugi reiterated, his face showing his skepticism. He cocked his head slightly as his eyebrows furrowed. "I've never heard of that card before."

"I've never seen it before either. Now that ya mention it, I've never heard of any of his cards before," Joey paused, putting a hand to his chin. "Vice Dragon, Strong Wind Dragon, Dread Dragon, Scarlet Security, Lineage of Destruction…I betcha he's got more awesome ultra-rare cards in his deck."

"Joey! Didn't you stop to think that this guy might be a Rare Hunter as well!?" Tea shouted at the blonde. "What if he was just using you? He might be trying to get your Red-Eyes from under your nose; or worse!"

"No way," the Brooklyn-accented male retorted. "He ripped up the Exodia cards the Rare Hunter had. Even if he was, I highly doubt he'd rip up a fellow member's cards."

"Are you _sure_ you didn't just hallucinate this guy up?" Tristan drawled, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Of course not! He's in the hospital right now!" Joey yelled back, butting heads with Tristan. "I could take ya ta him right now if you don't believe me!"

"Then why don't you?" Yugi suggested. "I really want to meet whoever this person is now. What's his name?"

"His name's Jack Atlas and he's a fan of mine," Joey said triumphantly, looking haughtily at Tristan. "He called me '_**The**_ Joey Wheeler'. He knows of my greatness and how I came in second in Duelist Kingdom!"

"Yeah, and _I'm_ your mother," Tristan joked, still not believing a word Joey was saying. Joey pounced on Tristan, attempting to choke the life out of his friend to get him to shut up.

"Then how about I make ya cry uncle, 'mom'!?" Joey growled out.

Yugi and Tea laughed at Joey's antics. Deciding to meet Joey's "fan", the group traveled to the Domino City Hospital. Joey led them through the winding hallways before coming to the right room. He knocked three times on the door before opening it.

"Atlas? You awake?" Joey said, peeking through the crack in the door.

Joey spotted Jack looking out the hospital room window, holding his left hand over his right arm. His white trenchcoat and grey gloves were discarded, revealing the black tank-top he was wearing underneath. His pants were still ripped and one could see the bandages wrapped around his legs. The spiky-haired blonde redirected his gaze to the open door, looking a bit surprised to see Joey there.

"You!?" Jack exclaimed, turning around and facing the other blonde. "Why are you here?"

"Morning, Sleepin' Beauty!" Joey greeted him, giving off a big grin. "Last I checked on ya, you were dead to the world."

"Move it!" Tristan shouted, pushing Joey out of the way so the rest of the Yugi gang could see who Joey was talking to.

"…Who the deuce are you?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow at the company Joey brought. A pencil-headed guy, a brunette with blue eyes, and the famous King of Games entered the room.

"These are my friends," Joey explained, rubbing his bruised arm.

"I'm Tristan Taylor."

"And I'm Tea Gardner."

"My name is Yugi Muto."

"And you know me," Joey finished. "Since they doubted my story about how ya beat the snot outta that Rare Hunter yesterday night, I brought them to prove it was true. How 'bout that, Tristan? He's _not_ a figment of my imagination!"

"Okay, so I was wrong and he's real," Tristan said, raising his arms in a defensive way. Tristan then noticed the sharp glare Jack was giving him. "What?"

"Stop talking," Jack stated bluntly. This irked Tristan while everyone else blinked in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" the pencil-haired male snapped in retaliation.

"You sound like a brain-dead version of my best friend," Jack explained, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. "It's an insult to him, so keep your mouth shut."

"Why I oughta—" Tristan was about to charge at the elder teen, but Joey held him back. "At least I don't sound like an Australian Bakura!"

"So the King of Games himself is gracing me with his presence?" Jack said, his voice taking on a lighter tone than he had with Tristan. He ignored the angry shouts coming from Tristan as the male thrashed around in Joey's arms. "You're…a lot shorter than I thought you'd be. The photos make you seem a lot taller."

Yugi laughed nervously as a sweatdrop ran down his head, knowing that it was probably Yami he saw in those photos. Yugi mentally cursed at his small stature and hoped puberty would decide to kick in in the near future.

"It's nice to meet you, Jack," Yugi said. "I want to thank you for helping Joey."

"It's no problem. I was only trying to help, nothing more."

"So Jack, I heard from Joey that you dueled a Rare Hunter and won."

"I did. What of it?"

"Well, he told me a few of the cards you used and I've never heard of any of them," explained Yugi. He noticed how Jack stiffened up, as if worried about something. As to what he was nervous about, Yugi could only guess. "Is it alright if I take a look at a few of them?"

"…Actually, no it's not," Jack responded, his eyes drifting to the floor and trying to find an interesting spot to look at.

"Oh, okay then," Yugi replied. He then noticed the misplaced red color on Jack's arm. Taking a closer look, he noticed it was a symbol of some sort. It appeared to look like wings. "What's that mark on your arm?"

Jack quickly moved his other hand over the mark. "Nothing. Just a tattoo."

Yugi wasn't buying it. If it was just a normal tattoo, the blonde wouldn't have tried to cover it up that fast. There was something that Jack was hiding, but what he was hiding remained to be seen.

"Say Atlas," Joey said while still holding Tristan down. "You gonna enter the Battle City Tournament? I saw your duelin' and ya got a Duel Disk. I totally want ta face ya if ya are."

"I wasn't planning on it," Jack told the Brooklyn-accented blonde. "And even if I did want to, I wouldn't be able to."

"Let me guess; Kaiba docked your rating and you can't enter because of it?" Joey growled out. "I'll knock that egotistic bastard down a few pegs!"

"No…To be honest, I'm not even listed in registrar," Jack explained.

"What!? No way! A great duelist like you; not listed? That's a load of bull!" Joey shouted, pointing his finger at Jack.

"Really, you flatter me," Jack said uneasily, uncomfortable with what he was about to say. "I'm not that great of a duelist. After all, I haven't been in any tournaments and I started playing Duel Monsters only recently."

Jack mentally gagged. He could barely believe he said that _aloud_. He was never a fan of lying, but it was the only way to prevent himself from changing anything. It was bad enough he had met the King of Games, but if he ended up unintentionally revealing that he wasn't from this timeline to Yugi or his friends, the future would pay for it. No one would know of his dueling skills here. There was no "King of the Turbo Duels" or "Master of Faster" in the nineteen nineties and there wouldn't be for several decades.

But on the other hand, it was true to an extent if he squinted really hard at the fine print. He might be an amateur compared to Seto Kaiba or Yugi Muto if he ever dueled them for all he knew. He didn't compete in any tournaments in this specific timeline and he only dueled once so far in this timeline. It counted as partially true, right?

"HUH!? You sayin' you beat that Rare Hunter because you got lucky!?" Joey exclaimed.

"Perhaps," Jack drawled, smirking at the priceless look on Joey's face.

"Well if you do end up entering, I wish you luck, Jack," Yugi said, smiling kindly at the violet-eyed blonde.

"Thank you," Jack said, turning away. "Now if you don't mind, could you leave? I'd like to be alone."

Yugi nodded before looking at his friends. Joey dragged Tristan out of the room. Tea walked beside Yugi as they exited the hospital. Tristan went on a verbal tirade about how Jack was an asshole and Joey merely laughed at his friend's dismay.

"I don't know about you, Yugi, but that Jack guy seems kinda…off to me," Tea muttered.

"Maybe," Yugi said, a sweatdrop running down his head as he watched Joey and Tristan fight. "It did seem like he was hiding _something_. Guess we'll have to wait and see. Let's just focus on the Battle City Tournament for now."

Back in the hospital room, Jack held his Red Dragon Archfiend card to his face. He silently thought about why he was brought to past. If the Crimson Dragon wanted to prevent the Familiar of Red Nova from getting Red Nova Dragon, wouldn't it have just transported him to a safer location? What was the point in being sent to the past? Was there something the Crimson Dragon wanted him to do? Did he need something that could help him from this timeline? Was the Familiar still capable of getting to him? Thousands of questions without answers assaulted his mind, making his head throb. He looked back to the Duel Disk lying on the nearby table. He stared at the device for a good few minutes before sighing.

"I must be out of my mind…" he muttered to himself, picking up the Duel Disk. He went for the device's Graveyard slot and took out the clear card that was there. He looked at the small opaque area on the clear card, his thoughts racing at the possibilities. With it, he could potentially participate in the Battle City Tournament. But should he? He smirked, thinking about his possible chance to duel the King of Games in his prime as well as Seto Kaiba, Joey Wheeler, and all the other big name duelists of the time.

"_Maybe the right answer has been in front of me the entire time,_" he thought. "_Why waste the chance to actually be in the Battle City Tournament? Since I'm here, I'll make the most of it!_"

"You know what? That settles it," he swore to himself aloud, placing the Duel Disk on his arm. "Screw time paradoxes and the space-time continuum; I'm entering that tournament! When am I ever going to have the chance to duel the original Duel Monsters legends? Now I can truly see how my skills stack up to theirs!"

* * *

By the time the next day came around, the streets of Domino City were flooded with young and veteran duelists alike. They gathered together and they all patiently waited for Kaiba to officially announce the start of the Battle City Tournament. Yugi had decided to meet Joey in Domino Square but when he arrived, the blonde was nowhere to be seen. However, Yugi did end up seeing another blonde among the crowd. He blinked a few times, thinking he was seeing things. When he realized it was Jack, he ran up to the tall blonde.

"Jack!" Yugi called out. Jack turned to face Yugi. He was now wearing a white trenchcoat over a pale blue shirt, complimented by black pants. The white coat reminded Yugi of Kaiba to an extent. Yugi looked up at Jack, smiling at him. "So you decided to compete after all!"

"Of course," Jack said, smirking and closing his eyes. "I thought it over and decided, 'why the hell not'? After all, it's a once in a lifetime chance and I highly doubt I'll get another one like this. Jack Atlas doesn't back down from a challenge!"

"How'd you get registered?" Yugi asked. "Didn't you say you weren't listed in the registrar?"

"I have my ways," Jack said slyly, his devious smile telling Yugi that whatever he did to the receptionist at the registration center wasn't exactly civil. "I've dealt with underhanded stiffs before. I've learned to be rather _persuasive_ when I need to be…"

"So you threatened him to hack your name into the system?" Yugi answered as he deadpanned at the other blonde.

"I _may_ have used some verbal threats here and there to do that, but the rare card I offered up as my ante sealed the deal," Jack explained. "Poor sap nearly fainted at the sight of mine. Then again, I'd expect no less from _that_ card. At least I'm in now."

"You sure sound confident for a newbie," a female voice interrupted. Jack turned his head, finding a scantily dressed blonde woman with a curvaceous figure standing nearby and sneering at him.

"Hey Mai!" Yugi greeted the woman.

"Mai? As in Mai Valentine?" Jack inquired. He remembered a "Mai Valentine" being listed as one of the best duelists in the world, although not as high ranking as Yugi Muto or Seto Kaiba. She was still known for her glamorous looks and her sharp tactics, even after she had retired from the game.

"The one and only," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "So newbie, who are you? You weren't with Yugi and company before."

"That's because we only met yesterday," Yugi explained. "See, Jack helped Joey out—"

"We're acquaintances, nothing more," Jack interjected, pointing a finger at Mai. "And don't underestimate me just because you've never seen me before. Anything's fair game."

"True, but I doubt you'll get far," Mai said, waving off his warning.

Jack scoffed. "Is that a challenge?"

"It's not a challenge; it's the truth," Mai argued. "But if you want to make it one, I'll go for it. Whoever makes it to the finals first gets the loser's rarest card."

Yugi knew this was starting to get out of hand. "Uh, Mai, that's hardly—"

"Bring it on, Valentine! Jack Atlas won't lose to the likes of you!" Jack shouted, a blazing aura igniting around him. Yugi sighed in defeat, knowing it wasn't going to end well for Jack. He did say he was new to Duel Monsters and he was going to be facing against seasoned duelists. His chances of getting to the finals were slim to none. But there was still a chance; after all, Joey made it to the Duelist Kingdom finals while still being a beginner to the game.

"Yugi! I thought I'd see you buzzing around!"

Jack briefly stopped to turn towards the owner of the voice. He saw two short-stacks walking towards Yugi. One had teal hair and wore yellow glasses in the shape of a bug and its wings. He wore a green shirt with a black beetle silhouette with matching black pants and shoes that had bugs for laces. The one next to him was brown-haired male wearing a red hat that covered his head and showed a small portion of lavender-colored bangs, a green coat, yellow shirt, brown pants, and sky-blue shoes.

"If it isn't Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood…" Mai groaned.

"I'll never forget how you played me like a fool at Duelist Kingdom, Mai!" Rex snapped at the woman. "Now, it's payback time!"

"And Yugi; next time we duel, you won't be so lucky! My deck is infested with swarms of rare and powerful insects!" Weevil snickered in a nasally voice that irritated Jack greatly. The Signer was already on the verge of punching the midget when someone from behind Weevil grabbed him in a headlock, silencing his annoying laughter.

"Those are large words coming from such a small guppy," the tanned man said.

"Mako Tsunami," Yugi greeted the male.

Mako let Weevil go, causing the boy to hold his throat and breathe harshly to get his much needed oxygen. Mako announced boldly that he would be the winner of the tournament with the help of his deck. Weevil snapped at the fisherman, arguing that there was no way Mako would win. Rex countered that argument, saying that his dinosaurs would be victorious over the both of them. Mai and Yugi sweatdropped as the verbal fight continued to escalate. Jack just blinked. He hadn't heard much about the three duelists; perhaps sparse details, but nothing notable.

"Yugi, I think I'll head off," said Mai, deciding it was best to leave. "Remember; next time we meet, we're rivals. Same to you, Jackie. Be ready to cough up your rarest card by the end of today!"

"Don't call me 'Jackie'!" Jack snapped at the blonde, a small blush forming on his face. There was only one person who was allowed to call him "Jackie" and even _she_ didn't use it often. Mai laughed at his reaction before running off. Yugi waved goodbye to the female, smiling as she disappeared from view.

"Well, Jack," Yugi said, turning to Jack. "Good luck."

"I'd wish you the same, but I _know_ you'll get to the finals," Jack said, walking away from Yugi. "You're not 'King of Games' for nothing."

"_And I'm not a WRGP winner for nothing, either,_" Jack thought. "_It's time to show these halfwit amateurs how a __**real**__ duelist plays his cards._"

* * *

**And cliffhanger! Who's the only person allowed to call him "Jackie"? I'm a diehard Scoopshipper, so in my mind it's Carly. But it could potentially be Martha as well, since I enjoy her character so much.**


End file.
